


As Easy As Breathing

by The_girlwholived



Category: The Mortal Instruments
Genre: Cute, Fluff, M/M, Time - Freeform, old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 22:24:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14724719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_girlwholived/pseuds/The_girlwholived
Summary: Magnus ponders life without Alec





	As Easy As Breathing

  
Snow drifted gently outside the window, the curtains pulled open so the city skyline was visible. Magnus Bane sat on the bed, looking extraordinarily unlike himself. His hair wasn't gelled, but hung in a straight black curtain to his collar. He wore no glitter or eyeliner, his face almost pale with worry.

Beside him was a man, who to the casual observer, might have been his grandfather. Alec's hair had long since turned white, was as light and wispy as candyfloss. His eyes were not the brilliant blue of his youth but had faded, his skin creased with wrinkles.

One liver spotted hand grasped Magnus', who grasped it just as tightly back. Alec was sick. He did not know how sick, but the doctors had told him privately that he might not have too much time left, and it wrenched him apart. There had been others, of course. Some, like Camille, had lasted years. He still remembered the feeling of falling in love with her, the feeling that now, he would never be alone again. Camille, too, was immortal, and she knew his pain, or at least said she did.

There had been passionate love affairs that had only lasted months, people he could barely remember the names of, people whose faces lingered out of reach.

The trouble was that an immortal life came with a mortal memory. Old memories faded and were forgotten, people lost and replaced by new, even when he tried to hold onto them. Isabelle and the others had been in earlier, and the boys had just left, had said their goodbyes for the evening. Magnus supposed he shouldn't call them boys anymore, not now when they were practically middle aged. Silver streaks had already appeared in Rafael's hair, though Max was still as blue skinned and youthful as he would always be.

This was hard for everyone, but it would be harder for him. Magnus would never want to willingly put somebody through the pain that he himself had gone through time after time, the pain of losing people loved and cherished, the pain of watching them grow old and fade. Every time he wondered why he put himself through this, why he let himself, when he knew the pain that would come. Sometimes they forgot his name, did not recognise his face. But Alec never forgot. Sometimes Magnus' love faded over time, but he knew this would not.

Alec's eyes fluttered open, and they focused on Magnus', and he gave a small sleepy smile, squeezing his hand. It was enough, it was sixty years of love in one touch, and it was hope. Of course Magnus would always love Alec. It was as easy as breathing.


End file.
